The Russian government is seeking a 13-year prison sentence for opposition leader Alexei Navalny, the Kremlin’s latest attempt to keep one of its most outspoken critics in prison for as long as possible.
Navalny, who is serving a 2.5-year sentence, has been targeted by Russian President Vladimir Putin for his opposition to his administration. He now faces charges of fraud and contempt of court, which Navalny argues are politically motivated.
Russian authorities are accusing Navalny of embezzling funds that he and his foundation have raised, as well as insulting one of their judges in a previous trial. In closing arguments Tuesday, marking one month since the trial was opened, prosecutors sought a 13-year sentence in a maximum-security prison and a fine of 1.2 million rubles ($10,700), according to the Associated Press.
It’s unclear whether this sentence would be served concurrently with or added to his current sentence.
ALEXEI NAVALNY CALLS FOR RUSSIANS TO PROTEST ‘OBVIOUSLY INSANE TSAR’ PUTIN EVERY DAY
The Russian government has reportedly opened several criminal cases against Navalny, leading some to believe the Kremlin is seeking to keep him imprisoned for as long as possible.
“Alexey Navalny’s sentence has long been known: a life sentence,” wrote Leonid Volkov, one of Navalny’s top allies, on Facebook. “For the end of life one of the two people — Navalny himself or Vladimir Putin. What Putin believes will last for another 13 years is great optimism and reevaluation of his own possibilities. Approximately the same reevaluation that made him attack Ukraine three weeks ago.”
Navalny was arrested in January 2021 after returning from Germany, where he was recovering from what investigators determined to be a Novichok-class nerve agent, a potent toxin produced in Russia. He blamed the Russian government for poisoning him, a claim that the Kremlin vehemently denied.
Navalny was then charged with parole violations from another fraud case in 2014, which he also argued had political motivations.
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Despite his imprisonment, Navalny has remained a staunch opponent of Putin, calling on Russians to protest the “obviously insane tsar” and his invasion of Ukraine.
“We cannot wait even a day longer. Wherever you are,” Navalny wrote to his followers in a statement released by his spokesperson. “In Russia, Belarus, or on the other side of the planet. Go out onto the main square of your city every weekday at 19.00 and at 14.00 at weekends and on holidays.”
